


When it Happens

by Emmybazy



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alpha Alec Lightwood, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, M/M, Omega Jace Wayland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:56:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23991166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmybazy/pseuds/Emmybazy
Summary: Alec and Jace are best friends who plan to become parabatai when they both present as alphas. A wrench is thrown in their plan when Jace presents as an omega.Or; The A/B/O fic I've always wanted to write where an alpha is able to resist an omega in heat and it confuses the shit out of the omega.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland
Comments: 8
Kudos: 222





	When it Happens

**Author's Note:**

> Hello- this was 80% written in my "fics in progress" folder and the pandemic gave me the time to finally finish it. 
> 
> I know some people are squidged out by A/B/O stuff but I tried not to make it too...squidgey. It is a little OOC Jace but I did my best.
> 
> I changed the canon universe a decent amount- I explain in there but just fyi if things aren't adding up, that's why. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

“Come on, no one will know.”

“Someone might come up!”

“Is there a rule that we’re not supposed to be up here?”

“You wouldn’t have needed to pick the lock if we were supposed to be up here-” Alec stops short when he sees the skyline spread out in front of them. 

“You were saying?” Jace hops on the parapet, leaning back against a gargoyle as Alec steps close to look out over the city. 

“Wow,” Alec mutters. 

“Yeah,” Jace grins, punches Alec’s arm lightly, “Happy 18th birthday bro. I didn’t have any money to buy you a present so-”

“This is really good Jace,” Alec hops up next to Jace, “Better than anything else anyone got me.”

“Please, that bow Mom got you was pretty sweet.”

“Accept the compliment Jace,” Alec’s hand skims Jace’s back and Jace’s breath catches. He hides it with a cough. 

Their age difference is more noticeable now than it ever has been before. Jace is still has a baby fat face and slim muscles at 16 and Alec looks like a man, frame wide and a few wisps of hair growing in patchy under his jaw. 

“Glad you like it,” Jace whispers, following Alec’s line of sight into the city, “You excited to present?”

“It could still be months before I present,” Alec exhales, leaning back against another gargoyle behind him so he and Jace can face each other, “You could present before I do.”

“Nah, Robert told me Lightwoods present early. Herondales present late.” 

Alec rolls his eyes, “It’ll happen when it happens. Not much to think about before then.”

“Just promise me you won’t get a parabatai before I present,” Jace scratches his nail against a catch in the cement, “You’ve got to give me a shot even if it takes me years to catch up with you.”

Alec sighs, “Fine, if I present as an Alpha, I’ll wait for you. No guarantees on if you’ll make the cut.”

Jace rolls his eyes at that, “Didn’t realize you had so many other suitors.”

“I might not now, but if the future Head of the Institute presents as an Alpha, there will be a line to become my parabatai,” Alec pokes his foot against Jace's, “I’ll let you skip to the front though.”

Jace cocks his head at Alec, “Why do you keep saying if?”

“Hm?”

“You keep saying 'if' you present as an alpha. You won’t with that attitude. Alphas are strong and confident in their superiority.” Jace puffs up his chest when he says it, tries to make it a joke, but Alec knows him, knows what Valentine raised him to believe. 

“You’ve got to stop saying that Jace,” Alec leans forward, “There’s nothing wrong with betas or omegas. Each person has their own strengths regardless of their secondary gender.”

“It was a joke,” Jace hides behind feigned ignorance and his age to push the conversation forward, “but seriously, why do you keep saying if?”

Alec looks down and watches his own fingers grip around his ankle, clenching and unclenching, “I think I might present as omega.”

“Wait, really?” 

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because,” Alec whispers, “I think I might like an alpha.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Alec clears his throat.

“Just like you said, there’s nothing wrong with being an omega,” Jace scratches out, eyes also downcast for the weight of the conversation. Neither of them speak for a minute, looking out over the city instead.

“Sorry if we don’t get to be parabatai,” Alec purses his lips when he says it.

“That’s ok, there are other bonds that omegas and alphas can share,” Jace says it without much thought, panics the moment he realizes the connotation of his words. He looks up to meet Alec’s wide eyes, Alec’s bottom lip dropped a fraction.

“Uh, yeah,” a soft rose hits the curve of Alec’s cheek, “that’s true. We can,” Alec clears his throat again after his voice cracks, “Talk more once I present, I guess?”

Jace nods, “Yeah, definitely.”

“Ok,” Alec leans back, ending the conversation and looking back out over the city, “Thanks for my birthday present Jace.”

Jace smiles, watches the blush fade from Alec’s skin, “you’re welcome.”

*****

Someone roars. 

Jace and Izzy are cornered by at least eight demons. Hodge had said to take it slow for their first few missions. They, of course, had chosen the patrol route that had a demon nest on it.

A demon is ripped back, the one next to it exploding when a sword swings down into it. Jace is able to take out the one closest to him and then Alec comes into view. 

Usually, he is as elegant as he is lethal but Alec is ploughing through demons. Jace swings into another one at the same time as Alec’s eyes glow red and he roars again, taking out the last threat. 

“Alec?” Izzy waves a hand at him to get his attention, “Alec, you can calm down, we’re safe.”

Alec heaves with each breath, runs to Izzy, pats her head, neck, arms, looking for any injuries. Once satisfied, he turns and pulls Jace in. Alec’s hands roam, parting every hair, tipping Jace’s neck back, running up under Jace’s shirt. 

“Alec, I’m fine,” Jace tries to catch his gaze, “Can you hear me?”

Instead of responding, Alec completes his search and draws Jace in tight. He pushes Jace’s head into his neck with a firm hand on the nape of Jace’s neck and loops the other around Jace’s middle. Alec sticks his nose into Jace’s hair and draws in long breaths, his heartbeat slowing down with every breath. 

Jace knows not to interrupt a freshly presented alpha. He wraps his arms around Alec’s back and coos into Alec’s chest, “I’m okay, you kept me safe. You did good, you protected me and Izzy.”

Alec lets out one last satisfied rumble, “Izzy. Get me back to the Institute. Now.” Jace starts to move with Alec towards the exit, but Alec stays still, “No, you can’t come with us.” Alec says it at the same time his arms pull Jace even tighter to his body.

“Alec,” Izzy is right next to them, “You need to let go of Jace.”

Alec takes a few quick breaths before he sobs, “Can you help me?” Jace feels a tear fall on his face as Izzy starts to unwind Alec’s arms from Jace. 

“Jace, don’t get caught up in it, move,” her voice is a harsh reminder of the situation and Jace ducks out from Alec’s arms. Alec pulls his shirt over his nose, breathes through his mouth, but his eyes are still red and stuck on Jace. “Alec,” Izzy shouts, “Walk backwards, now.” 

Jace also walks backwards until he hits a wall. He watches as Alec shuts his eyes and plods away. Jace wants nothing more than to follow, doesn’t know how much of it was new alpha pheromones and how much of it was purely about Alec but it doesn’t make it any less true. 

Jace sits down, sprawled back against the wall. He swallows the scent of Alec still lingering in his mouth. Alec, an alpha, as Jace always expected. A fierce protector, with striking control for someone who just presented. A perfect parabatai for Jace. 

Jace stands, wipes off the palms of his hands. He ignores the voice that had hoped against odds and reason that Alec would be an omega. He shakes the feeling of Alec’s hands off his body before leaving the alley.

*****

“Hey!” Jace grabs the chair next to Alec at dinner three days after Alec presents, “You’re back.”

“Hey Jace,” Alec has deep bags under his eyes and a sleepy smile half crooked. 

“So, how was your first rut?” Jace asks, digging into his food.

Alec’s jaw clenches, “Don’t really want to talk about it.”

Jace swallows, puts his fork down and takes in Alec’s hunched back and pale skin. Jace extends a hand to gently run down Alec’s back, grazing the fuzz of his sweater. Alec flinches at first but leans heavily into it, stress melting out of his shoulders. 

“I’m so sorry,” Alec murmurs, “About when I presented-”

“Hey, it’s fine,” Jace reassures, “I get it. Bet I’ll be twice as embarrassing when I present.” His joke coaxes some light back into Alec’s features, “Just a few more years and we can be parabatai.”

Alec purses his lips and nods, “Yeah, we’re halfway there.”

Jace’s hand stills on Alec’s shoulder, “You ok?”

“I will be,” Alec clasps his hands together, “tell me what I missed.”

Jace pulls his hand away, distracts Alec the best he can, “You would not believe what Raj said to Izzy yesterday.”

*****

Jace walks into Alec’s office and doesn’t notice James until he’s halfway to Alec’s desk, “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Alec dismisses James with a curt nod, “We were done.”

“I’ll be on my way then,” James heads back out past Jace.

“He asked if you were looking for a parabatai?” Jace observes. It’s not a hard conclusion to come by. A lot of Jace and Alec’s friends have suddenly been a lot colder towards Jace while warming up to Alec.

“Yes,” Alec leans back in his chair, “I told him no.”

Jace sighs, “I don’t know why I haven’t presented yet.”

“It’s not uncommon.”

“For people with medical issues maybe. The Silent Brothers say nothing is wrong. How many other normal 21 year olds do you know who haven’t presented?”

“You just haven’t had a moment that’s triggered your rut yet.” Alec, ever understanding an compassionate, scrolls through his phone as he talks. 

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Jace plops onto Alec’s desk, grabs his phone from him, “All you had to do was save my ass, I save your ass all the time and it doesn’t set me off.”

“You’ve got to save a damsel in distress,” Alec smirks, yanks back his phone. 

“Who you calling a damsel,” Jace bops Alec’s thigh with his boot to admonish him.

“Relax,” Alec reassures, “It’ll happen eventually. You have to be patient.”

Jace purses his lips, “I can be patient, but what about you? Can you wait until I’ve presented to get a parabatai?”

Alec leans forward, “I don’t want to bond with anyone else. If anything, we should be lucky I presented first becasue you would have already gone through four parabatai by now.”

The corner’s of Jace’s lips can’t help but raise, “I resent that.”

“Come on,” Alec stands, “Let’s go get some food.”

“Ok,” Jace follows eagerly, hanging onto every word as Alec starts to tell a story about his day.

*****

“That was uneventful. You want to spar to use up some energy?” Alec asks when they get back to the institute after a quiet patrol.

“Sure, just let me grab some water first.”

“Give me your seraph blades, I'll put them away,” Jace lets him, trusts Alec with his weapons. Alec is so good to Jace.

Jace heads to the kitchen and grabs two bottles of water, downs one, and grabs another for Alec. Alec will appreciate that Jace thought about his health. Jace is first to the training room, starts to stretch as he waits for Alec. He hopes it won't be long as he's already started to miss him.

“Hey,” Alec walks in and Jace’s face splits into a grin.

“Hey! I got you water.” 

“Thanks,” Alec accepts the bottle from him. 

Jace waits until he finishes, “What do you want to do?”

“Been awhile since we worked with staffs. Here,” Alec grabs and tosses one to Jace. It slips right past Jace's fingers, “Jace? You ok?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Wasn't paying attention,” he had been watching the muscles in Alec's arm coil, “I'm ready.”

They circle each other, Jace attacking first, staff slamming into Alec's. They build into a rhythm, a practiced routine except this time, Jace falters and ends up on his ass with Alec over him.

“How'd you miss that one?” Alec extends his hand down to Jace and Jace clasps on with both of his hands, hauling himself up and into Alec's space.

“You smell so good,” Jace whispers into Alec's neck, “I couldn't concentrate.”

Jace winds his hands around Alec's neck and buries his face. Alec's arms come up, gentle, rubbing circles into Jace’s back, “Jace, I think you should go to your room.”

“Will you come too?” Jace presses a kiss behind Alec's ear.

“No, I don't- it's not safe for you to be around me right now.”

“Why?”

“I might hurt you.”

“No you won't. You could never hurt me Alec.” Jace chuckles, wrapping his legs around Alec's hips and completely suspending himself on Alec's body, “you couldn't. You protect me and love me and make me feel good.”

Alec breathes heavy into Jace’s neck, fingers tightening around Jace’s back. “Jace, I'm going to sit down over here. Someone will come around soon who can help you.”

“I don’t need help, I’m with you.” 

Jace does everything he can to get closer to Alec. He shreds Alec's shirt and rubs his cheek against Alec's body, pushing his scent into Alec's skin. Alec holds his hands whenever Jace tries to do the same thing with Alec's pants so Jace keeps doing it to have Alec hold his hands. 

“Oh my god-” Jace is vaguely aware of Izzy behind them and Alec yelling at her.

“Fight it, go get a mated pair now and close the door.” Jace hears the words but doesn't understand, too preoccupied with running the backs of Alec's hands over his skin. He wants Alec’s fingers to grip his waist and wrists, leave marks all over him. Jace can’t get close enough.

Out of nowhere, someone is grabbing Jace around the waist and dragging him away from Alec, “no! No, Alec!”

“It's for the best Jace, I promise.” It's Robert. Robert is taking him away from Alec. 

“No, no, I need him, bring me back to Alec. Where is he?” Jace can't see him, partially due to the tears blocking the way.

“Hey, I'm right here” Alec is there, hands cupping Jace's face and wiping the tears away, “I'm here. It's ok.”

Jace struggles against Robert's hold, “Alec you need to go, he's too strong. We won't be able to get him to his room unless you leave.”

“Alec won't leave me!” Jace grasps Alec's wrists as Alec pets his cheeks, “you won't right? Please don't leave again.”

Alec lifts his down turned lips, “you don't know what you're saying Jace, it's better if I go.”

“No, never, please. Please stay with me. Do you want to leave? Do you not want me?” He can't stop pulling Alec closer. By now, he has Alec a few inches away, his hands in Alec’s hair. “You won't hurt me Alec, please stay with me.”

Alec's lips set in a thin line, “okay.”

Richard tries to but in. “I can't allow that-” but Jace is so relieved, his nervous energy turns to strength and he launches out of Robert’s hands and into Alec’s arms.

“I'll just stay with him, I won't- I'll just stay in the room. I wouldn't do anything else.”

“You're an unmated Alpha, that’s impossible.”

“I can't leave him Dad,” the desperation in Alec's voice matches the desperation in Jace’s body to bring Alec close, “not like this.”

“I don't like this.” Roberts voice fades out, it is no longer important. Jace has what he wants, Alec, in his hands, on his lips, his smell all over Jace. The only voice that matters is Alec's.

“Jace, I'm going to take you to your room now.” Jace, elated at the idea of privacy with Alec, leads the way, holding Alec to his back.

*****

Jace wakes up. 

He yawns, pushes his body further into the mattress. His arms and legs are practically glued to the sheets from exhaustion and sweat. 

He remembers everything.

Jace turns his head, Alec asleep on the pillow next to him. Alec is still fully clothed, wearing a shirt he'd borrowed from Jace to acquiesce Jace’s heat brain. Jace had wanted Alec naked but smelling like him must have been a compromise he could accept. 

Jace pushes himself off the bed. He showers away the sweat and slick covering his body, uses the massage setting on the shower to pummel his over worked muscles. Who knew that five days of heat were as brutal as training. 

Jace dries off and ties a towel around his hips. He brushes his teeth and his gums bleed. He can't shift his eyes up to look in the mirror, the glimpses of the scratch marks and bruises on his hips enough to make him sick.

Finally, thoroughly cleaned and repulsed, he pushes back into his room. Alec is sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands.

Jace starts with a soft “hey.”

Alec's head flicks up and Jace’s name tears itself from Alec's throat, “Jace, I'm so sorry-”

“Stop, please” Jace holds up a hand, “let me get dressed.” He swallows, his jaw tight when he begs, “could you look away?” 

Alec looks at the far wall, gives Jace the privacy that the omega in Jace didn't want Alec to have. The omega wanted Alec to know every inch of Jace, claim it, mark it with his teeth so everyone who looked his way would read the brand. Now, Jace needs his stele to make an iratze.

The bruises on his wrists slowly fade. The omegas he knows where them proudly, showing off to the world that they have a strong alpha who can hold them. Jace's marks are from Alec holding Jace's hands and hips away as Jace clawed to get closer. Alec overpowered him.

“I'm so sorry,” Alec whispers, running from his lips like the tears on his face, “I'm so sorry Jace.”

“For what?” Jace spits, “that I'm an omega?”

“No, of course not,” Alec approaches, hand out and asking for permission to touch, “I'm sorry I hurt you.”

Jace stays to the side, “You can’t hurt an omega. We’re just big balls of hormones and slick, what’s to hurt?”

“Jace, please,” Alec steps forward, arms out “come here.” His eyes bleed red and Jace falls into him.

Alec grips his shoulders tight, lets Jace hold onto him like its normal, like its any other Tuesday. Like Jace’s entire life doesn't feel like its been ripped out from underneath him.

“You didn't hurt me,” Jace mumbles, “Self defense doesn't count.”

“Don't say it like that.” Jace steps back to look at Alec as they talk.

“But that's how it happened. You did what needed to be done to make sure I didn't- we didn't.”

Alec quirks his head, “you remember?”

“Yes, everything. It's horrible. I know every awful thing I asked you to do to me. I'm the one who is sorry you had to go through that. So, sorry. It wasn't really me” Jace's lips twitch. He decides to start cleaning, stripping the bed. 

Alec startles out of his fog and helps, “you weren't in control, I understand.”

They work in silence, Jace picking up granola wrappers and empty water bottles while Alec straightens furniture and picks up clothes. 

“How did this happen?” Jace throwing the trash into the bin, “We had it all figured out. My own fucking body betrays me.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with you,” Alec tries but Jace shrugs it off, “Jace, look at me.” Jace does, so tuned into Alec it hurts to look away, “There is nothing wrong with this. You’ll make new plans.”

Jace crosses his arms in front of his chest, “I-” he bites his lips, strings together the sentence in his head before he says it, “Thank you for staying. I’m beyond sorry for everything I’ve said and done over the past week but,” he sighs, “I couldn’t have gone through that alone.”

Alec swallows, “You’re not mad at me?”

“Why would I be?”

“We never discussed- that.”

“We never thought it was a possibility,” Jace grumbles, “And I didn’t know it was possible for an unmated alpha to stay with a an omega without…” his voice trails off, not needing to say the words. 

“Apparently it is,” Alec sits down on Jace’s bed, “I swear, I could never put you in any danger and you were so sure I wouldn’t hurt you-”Jace smirks at that, startles himself more than Alec, “What?”

“I just,” Jace grins again, hides his face, “I know how crazy this sounds, but I wanted you to fuck me so bad and even under the influence of heat hormones, I knew you’d be a big softie and that was the only way I’d get you to come with me.”

Alec’s eyebrows furrow, “So when you said that-”

“I didn’t give a shit if you ended up hurting me or not,” Jace admits, bites his lip. He and Alec make eye contact and Alec shakes his head, fond more than anything else. Jace sighs, “we’re going to be ok, right? You don’t seem freaked out by the fact I’ve been trying to ride you constantly for the last five days.”

Alec startles out a laugh, “You know, you told me years ago that your presentation was going to be twice as embarrassing as mine and you were so wrong. At least ten times more embarrassing.”

“Hey,” Jace throws a pillow at Alec, “I better not hear any second hand stories of all of the nasty things I said to you.”

“Your perverted mind is safe with me,” Alec picks up the pillow and puts it back on the bed, “You definitely done? I really need to shower.”

“Yeah you do, you smell like you bathed in my slick,” Jace takes stock of his body, “I think I’m good.” He runs a hand through his hair, “Thanks, though, really. I have no idea how I could’ve done that without you.”

Alec, the bastard, grins and says, “Anytime,” before walking out the door. Jace sinks back on his bed. He laughs once more, grabs the pillow that smells like Alec and holds it to his chest. He stares at the ceiling until the tears start rolling down the side of his face. He doesn’t get up until the tracks dry.

*****

“So.” Izzy plops down into the seat next to Jace.

“Hey Iz,” he marks the spot in the training manual and looks up at her. Her eyes are wide, lips pursed.

“Soooo?” She prompts again.

“What?” Jace asks, leaning back in his seat. 

She rolls his eyes, “You spent your first heat with our brother- ew, no,” her eyebrows scrunch, “he is officially only my brother. He won’t tell me anything so you have to tell me everything.”

“There’s not too much to say,” Jace shrugs. 

“Oh my god Jace,” Izzy grabs onto his arm, “Please indulge your baby beta sister, possibly sister in law, and tell me what it was like.”

“Stop, Alec and I aren’t bonding,” Jace disguises the hurt with a cocky grin, “He helped me out since I fixated on him for my first heat.”

“Fixated? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Izzy smirks back, “You were literally crying for him to fuck you in the training room. Everyone heard.”

“Let everyone gossip about that then. They don’t need to know what happened in my room.”

“Sure, maybe not them-” she waves her hand to motion at the shadowhunters milling about around them, “but I certainly do. Come on, tell me!”

“You really want to know the gritty details of my heat with your brother?”

She pauses, eyes wide, “Ok, no. General details but mostly wondering when you’re going to be mated.”

“We’re not, trust me.”

“Why? All you guys ever talked about was being parabatai. It’s natural for you to bond now! It’s even closer than being parabatai.”

Jace sighs, puts his head in his hands, “If I tell you something, will you promise never to repeat it? You can’t even tell Alec you know.”

Izzy crosses her arms, “That’s asking a lot of me. You know I can’t hide anything from him if I try.”

“Fine, then enjoy knowing as little as everyone else in the institute becasue he’ll never tell you. He’ll think since it’s my heat, it’s mine to share or keep quiet.” 

He smiles as she weighs her options and he knows she’ll crack. And he’s grateful. The last few days of going back to life as an omega have been difficult, especially his twisting emotions about Alec.

“Fine, fine, fine, I won’t talk to him about it,” Izzy leans forward, her face close to his, and whispers, “What happened?”

Jace whispers back, “We didn’t have sex.” He sits back, triumph in his shoulders but really looking for her reaction. 

It’s been all he can think about the last few days. Alec was able to deny him. Alec, an unmated Alpha, was in a room for five days straight with an omega in heat and Jace is pretty certain he never even got hard. Jace already feels like a failure with his new secondary gender, but is it or a good or bad thing that he can’t even do that right?

“What do you mean?” Izzy crooks her head. 

“You heard me.”

“Ok but like-” she trails off, looks over his shoulder for a minute, “No, I’m lost, how did you not?”

“Not from lack of trying on my part, that’s for sure,” Jace snorts, “Over a hundred hours of me throwing myself at him and he never wavered once. Most I got out of him was him stroking my back after I would finish.”

Jace keeps up his positive image but Izzy’s face falls, “Oh, Jace, are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You don’t- I know you and Alec always talked about being parabatai, but you don’t see him as a mate, right?”

“No, no, I don’t feel rejected by my mate,” Jace reassures, “If anything, I’m really impressed with him. All I usually have to do is wave and someone comes home with me. He’s got resolve, that one,” he chuckles, “Or he’s really unattracted to me.”

“Jace,” Izzy’s voice is sad again, she runs a hand over his forearm.

“Stop, come on Iz, don’t make me regret telling you,” Jace moves away from her, “I’d tell you if something was wrong. If anything, I’m relieved. If he had given in, who knows if we’d be able to look each other in the eyes today.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Izzy touches his hand again, “Just becasue he’s my brother, doesn’t mean you can’t vent about him to me.”

“Nothing to vent about. He’s my brother too,” the word doesn’t sound right but he’ll keep pretending. 

*****

Jace smells it when it’s still a few days off. Alec doesn’t address it so Jace seeks him out when Alec must be right on the edge. 

“Hey,” Jace walks into Alec’s office. 

Alec doesn’t speak, closes his eyes and tips his head up. His nostrils flare once, reacting to Jace’s scent. 

“You want me to go?” Jace follows up, already stepping back to the door. 

Alec’s voice is ragged, “No, no, it’s ok,” he stands, “I should be getting back to my room anyways.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Jace offers. 

Alec pauses, hands clenched. Jace regrets the flippant offer immediately, sees the tension play on Alec’s face. 

“No.” 

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t have to spend it alone.”

“Yes, I do,” Alec looks away and walks out passed Jace. Jace clutches his fingernails into his hand, fighting the urge to follow. 

*****

Jace wakes up in the middle of Alec’s first full night in rut. Without much thought, he throws on a pair of sweats and walks the short path down the hall to Alec’s room. He sits back against the door, eyes closed, catching the wisp of Alec’s scent coming up through the crack in the door. 

Izzy kicks him awake the next morning with a sad grin and a hand to pull him up and away from Alec’s side. 

*****

“Hey Jace I-” Alec stops dead in his tracks as he approaches Jace in the ops room.

“Is it that obvious?” Jace pulls his shirt to his nose to smell his scent. To him, it hasn’t changed much. He’s still got a week or so until his heat hits him again.

“No, no,” Alec shakes himself a bit, “I guess I’m especially perceptive. I was going to talk to you about a new case but if you’re about to go into heat, I’ll find someone else.”

It kills Jace. It rips him apart. It’s standard protocol but it’s like a blade in his gut. It’s partially the hormones, when he’s fully himself it doesn’t seem as unfair since Alphas go on probation about a week out from their ruts as well, but in that moment it doesn’t matter. Jace hears Valentine’s voice in his ear telling him about slutty omegas and their incompetence and their stench-

“Hey,” a firm hand lands on his shoulder and Jace breathes that alpha scent in, “Where’d you go?”

Jace rubs his face, “I may be farther along than I thought.”

Alec nods, “Let’s go back to my office, you can rest there.” While the part that hates himself hates that it has to be offered, the fact that it’s Alec sharing his personal space soothes the sting of his own inferiority. When he’s like this, a few days away from being hormonal goo, the only perk is Alec unwavering protection and concern. 

Alec sits on the armchair in his office, leaving Jace to spread out on his couch. He turns over a few times to push his scent into the fabric, “thanks.”

“Anytime,” he says again, as he’s said frequently since he walked into Jace’s bathroom reeking of his first heat. 

Jace curls up, vulnerability clear as day, “I’m getting scared this time around.”

“Why, you’ve done it once already. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t expecting it that time. I’m getting worked up thinking about it. Plus, I’ll be alone.”

Jace sees Alec stiffen, “You will be?”

“Yes?” Jace questions, “I haven’t gotten any offers.”

Alec coughs, “Traditionally, the person going through heat is supposed to ask.”

Jace stops his shuffling on the couch and slowly sits up. He sits with his legs to his chest, not usually comfortable but he wants to feel contained and protected. Doesn’t want his underbelly to show before Alec rips the floor out from under him, “the only person I would ask is you.”

Alec’s lips stay in a straight line, “Are you going to ask?”

Jace runs a hand through his hair, “Not like you enjoyed it all that much last time.”

“I did,” Alec reassures, “Besides hating that I was hurting you, I didn’t mind being there with you. I liked knowing you weren’t alone and that I was helping as much as I could.”

“Not as much as you could,” Jace mutters.

A silence settles over them. They don’t look at each other but Jace can still feel the weight of Alec’s thoughts on his skin.

“If I asked you, you would say yes?”

“Yes.”

“You wouldn’t hate me for needing you? For putting you through that again?”

“I could never hate you,” Alec rumbles. He gets his voice in check, “We’d be more prepared this time. We could talk beforehand about what helps and what doesn’t-”

“Would you fuck me?” Jace interrupts, “If I asked you, and you said yes, would you fuck me?”

Alec can’t look at Jace, leans forward to say, “I don’t think I could, no.” He recovers, glancing up, “But I’d do everything else that I could to make you comfortable.”

Jace swallows down the disappointment. He, a selfish glutton willing to take whatever Alec would give, licks his lips before answering, “Ok. I need better sex toys this time.”

*****

“Shh, you’re ok, you’re ok. Keep going,” Alec whispers in Jace’s ear as he fucks himself back on plastic. Jace is on his hands and knees, Alec over him, bare chested, holding the dildo buried in Jace’s body against his hip.

“Please, Alec, please,” Jace picks ups the pace as Alec tucks his nose behind Jace’s ear and hums. 

“Keep going baby, you can do it,” Alec pumps his hips lightly, shifting the plastic in Jace as if it was real, “You’re almost there.”

Alec is right and Jace finishes, a growl torn out of his chest. He face plants into the bed, Alec moving the toy with him so it stays in. 

Alec hums again, deep and vibrating up Jace’s spine. Alec lays over top of Jace, his arms overlapping with Jace, their fingers interlacing together.

Alec whispers into Jace’s ear, his lips grazing Jace’s earlobe, “You did so good baby.”

*****

It only last three days this time. Jace’s body content with the rough fuckings his fingers couldn’t provide last time. 

“Ow,” Jace grumbles, sprawled on his back in his bed. 

“You’re telling me,” Alec gripes next to him. Jace raises his left arm so that Alec can clearly see where he is flipping him the bird, “How tasteful.”

“Never have been before,” Jace drops his arm over his face, “Certainly wasn’t the last few days.”

“I’m not complaining,” Alec turns over onto his side, “You hungry?”

Jace nods his head. He watches Alec rummage on the side of the bed for protein bars and bananas. Alec peels the banana, breaking off a chunk and holding it to Jace’s lips. Jace, after a beat, takes the offered bite.

“I can feed myself,” Jace whispers with a mouthful of banana. 

“I’m an alpha who just went through a heat with an omega,” He grabs a jar of peanut butter and spoons some onto the next hunk of banana, “Let me feed you so my hormones will settle.”

Jace takes the next bite, Alec’s fingers dipping into his mouth before withdrawing. Jace snorts. 

“What?”

“You’re hilarious,” Jace grins again, “you can sit through an omega’s heat without getting a knot-brain but god forbid I lift a finger to take care of myself.”

Alec settles back against the headboard, “My instincts don’t push me to fuck.” Alec looks at Jace, runs a hand over Jace’s hair to push it out of his eyes, “They push me to protect, and provide. Satisfy.”

Alec doesn’t move his hand, let’s it sit on Jace’s head as Jace looks up at him. Jace could break the tension with a sarcastic quip but instead, “We’re really fucking lucky you’re in charge.”

Alec’s face falls at that, he turns away and opens one of the energy bars for Jace, “Hear, once you’ve showered, I’ll make you a warm meal. Then we’ll clean up.”

Jace shifts a little closer to Alec, his head near Alec’s hip, “Can we sleep longer?”

Alec grins, slides down the bed, “Of course, come here.” He opens his arm and let’s Jace rest his head on his chest. Jace breathes in their combined smell, knows that a nap while he permeates in it will settle the last few cravings.

*****

“What the fuck was that?” Jace seethes, stomping up to Alec.

“Are you okay?” Alec reaches out but Jace slaps his hands away before Alec can touch him.

“Of course I’m okay, and I would have been if you hadn’t stepped in too.”

“It was a horde of shax demons Jace-”

“Which I had under control,” Jace crosses his arms over his chest, “you’ve got to stop treating me like an omega in the field.”

“Slow down, what?” Alec holds his hands out, “I’m not doing that.”

“Yes, you are,” Jace insists, “I know it’s been awhile since you’ve been out in the field-”

“A month isn’t awhile-”

“And,” Jace makes a point to get Alec’s attention back, “these last few days when you’ve been covering for Iz, you keep stepping in when I’m the more experienced fighter.”

“I know that,” Alec insists, “I just-” he sighs, “I see the things going at you and I can’t stop myself.”

“You’ve got to learn to control that side of you,” Jace steps closer, “I understand having instincts in the field that cloud your judgement. But you’re rusty and more likely than not, you will get killed from your alpha brain and rusty skills.”

Alec huffs, “I’m not that rusty.”

“Yeah?” Jace disarms him with no resistance, throws Alec’s blade to the ground and slings the bow over his own shoulder. The bow is about settled when Alec pushes Jace back against a wall, his feet lifting off the ground as Alec’s arms grab around his waist and hold him up.

Jace sighs, holds on for the ride, “Nevermind, that explains it.”

“Hmm, what?”

“Your ruts early.”

“I don’t think so-”

“Alec, your mouth is on my collarbone.”

Alec pulls back, looks at the hickey he had started to leave on Jace, “Oh. Shit.”

“Yep, come on. I think my room is still pretty well stocked from a few months ago.”

Alec shakes his head, “I’m not going to your room.”

“Fine, your room then. We’ve got to get back to the Institute first.”

“I’m spending my rut alone Jace.”

Jace pauses where he’s retracing the rune for speed, “Why?”

Jace can see where the alpha on the cusp of rut and his sweet, caring Alec, are at war on Alec’s face, “I’m fine alone.”

Jace points down at where Alec is holding him, “I’m sure you are but your body seems to disagree.”

Alec follows his line of sight and jumps back from Jace, “Sorry.”

“It’s ok, I get it,” Jace steps forward, “I really wouldn’t mind spending your rut with you Alec. I’d finally be able to make fun of you for how crazy you are.”

“No.” Alec grumbles, “I can handle it alone.” With that, he huffs off, leaving Jace cold.

*****

Jace tips his head back against Alec’s door. It’s the second night of Alec’s rut and Jace clutches a pillow to his chest. He activated his hearing rune hours ago to listen to Alec’s soft growls and moans. 

Jace doesn’t know what it means and doesn’t want to think to hard about it. All he knows is that he needs to be close to Alec in case Alec needs him. Jace can’t comprehend the idea of being out of your mind without someone in the room to trust. 

“Jace…” its so faint, Alec’s face must be buried in his mattress but heat strikes up Jace’s spine and he’s suddenly awake. 

Jace takes a deep breath. It could have been a mistake or Alec isn’t thinking properly-

“Jace...please.” Jace claws into the doorframe, holding himself back from running to his Alpha’s call, “Oh, Jace.”

Jace shoots up and grabs his key to Alec’s room, hands shaking as he opens the door, steps in, and locks it behind him. 

Alec spread out on his bed, hands roaming his body. He looks up at the intrusion and vaults himself off the side of the bed, away from Jace. Alec’s eyes glare red and his teeth clench, “Get out.”

“You- you called for me,” Jace takes a step towards him and Alec rumbles. 

“You need to leave before-” Alec takes a deep breath, “before I do something we both regret.”

Jace sees Alec’s taut shoulders, messy hair. The bed sheets are askew. Jace musters what little grace he has to throw his pillow on Alec’s bed and drop onto it right after.

“What the hell are you doing?” Alec’s fingers grip the side of the mattress as he holds himself away from Jace. 

“You were calling for me,” Jace turns on his side to look at Alec, “You don’t want to be alone and you don’t have to be. Come here.”

“Jace, please, leave,” Alec sobs out the words. 

“I like it when you hold me during my heats,” Jace whispers, rubbing his palm over Alec’s sheets, “and when my bed smells like you. It helps take the edge off.”

Jace watches the moment Alec loses his resolve and catapults over the bed and onto Jace. Jace tips back his head, neck ready for Alec to take deep breaths of his scents. Alec’s arms wrap completely around Jace, caging him in and keeping Jace safe. Jace pushes his body into it, tries to project the safety he’s feeling to Alec to appease Alec’s hormones. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jace can feel where Alec is keeping space between them, “It’s ok.” Jace hooks a leg around Alec’s thigh and pulls his hips down so Jace is fully encased and Alec is in complete control over Jace’s body, “It’s ok Alec, Alpha.”

Alec’s body finally relaxes down and onto Jace, every piece of him covered. Alec’s chest rumbles against Jace’s with an overwhelmed pleased sigh. 

*****

“Do you get it now?” Jace whispers between them. He’s drenched in Alec’s sweat with Alec’s bite marks fading from his neck.

“Hm?” Alec’s eyes are closed, his lips at peace after so many hours of tension marring his face. 

Jace turns onto his stomach, cuddling his pillow, “Why it’s so good to have you there during my heats even though we don’t have sex. Do you understand?”

Alec looks away, voice rough, “Yes.”

“Good,” Jace murmurs into the pillow, eyes closing to rest with Alec but springing open when Alec speaks. 

“I never asked you,” Alec coughs, “Could never ask you because I know how hard it is. To resist it. I couldn’t ask you to do that for me.”

Jace shifts closer to Alec, “You’re not mad at me for asking you?”

“No, of course not.”

“It’s a two way street buddy,” Jace bops his elbow against Alec’s shoulder, “Just because you’re the big tough Alpha doesn’t mean you’re the only one who has to be helpful. If I can make your life a little bit easier or a little bit better, I’m going to do it. And I’ll love doing it.”

Alec scoffs, “Yeah, sure that was a lot of fun for you.”

“Hell fucking yeah it was,” Jace grumbles, “I had a prime alpha specimen trying to get in my pants for 12 hours. What’s not to love?”

Alec laughs, runs a hand through his hair, and then extends his arms past Jace’s head, “Do you mind…?”

Jace smirks, “Of course Mr. Snuggles.” He shuffles his body so that his head can rest on Alec’s shoulder, his fingers scratching at the soft hair on Alec’s chest, “Better?”

“Yeah,” Alec agrees, tucking his nose into Jace’s hair, “Go to sleep baby.”

Jace doesn’t protest, let’s himself fall into it. 

*****

Jace sighs. The red head, Clary, has her feet planted on the sidewalk and her arms crossed over her chest, “Why are you stopping?”

“My dad’s a cop. He’d kill me if I went into a creepy abandoned church with a stranger. Oh wait, he wouldn't be able to,” she tilts her head at him, “Becasue you would have already killed me.”

“It’s not a creepy abandoned church. It’s the safest place in all of New York for people like us,” Jace insists.

“I’m not whatever you think I am,” Clary growls, eyes flashing red, and Jace laughs.

“I could smell you a mile away,” Jace explains, “I bet you noticed the changes recently, you’re more aggressive, over protective of your family. Hell, you followed me,” Jace steps towards her again, “An omega you’ve never met before, 20 blocks without much thought. You’re an alpha, and based on the smell of you, not far from rut. It’s your first one, right? You wouldn’t be this confused if it’d happened before so you must have just turned 18.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? How did you know that?”

“I’m talking about your secondary gender,” Jace mirrors her stance, arms folded over his chest as he stares her down, “Mundanes don’t have secondary genders so you must be nephilim. Which means,” He nods back at the Institute “You’re safer to yourself and the general populace here. A mundane house wouldn’t be able to hold you.”

“Look, dude!” She holds her finger a loft at him, “I don’t know what you’re on but you should probably stop whatever it is. I don’t know what half the words you said mean-”

“But you know I’m right,” Jace smirks, “You know because even though your head is telling you to get out of here, your body can’t walk away from me. You feel safe enough to be alone with me right now, and it’s becasue you’re body doesn’t perceive me as a threat, it sees me as your target. And if we don’t get you inside asap, and into a locked room, we’re going to have some issues here.” He can see it in her eyes, that she doesn’t want to believe him but is putting the pieces together. “You want proof?”

“Sure, whatever. Prove your sexual delusions are right,” she steps closer, probably without realizing it. 

“Hold out your phone like you’re taking a selfie, so you can see your eyes,” she pulls out the phone, turns it on herself and looks up to him, “Don’t look at me, watch your eyes.” Jace rubs his wrists together, gathers the scent there, and holds it up to her nose. 

Clary’s eyes flash red and she stumbles backward, dropping her phone for Jace to catch, “What the hell was that?”

“My sexual delusions,” Jace hands her back her phone, “Now come on, we have to get you inside.”

Jace starts to walk away and this time, Clary blindingly follows his scent, “Ok buddy. But know that I have mace in my purse.” He smirks to himself as they walk through the front door.

“Yo, I need some help here!” He yells, “Poor defenseless omega being tailed by an unknown alpha who I’ve never seen before.” Jace turns to look over his shoulder as Clary turns in a slow circle, eyes wide as she takes in the details of the Institute. 

Alec is the first to approach, still fresh off his rut and rushing to Jace’s defense, “What’s going on?”

“I was at the Hunter’s Moon watching Maia’s boyfriend’s band and this girl almost jumped me. I think I’m the first omega she’s ever encountered and I triggered her rut. Issue is that I have no idea who she is.”

Alec furrows his brow and turns to their guest. He muses for a second before saying, “Clary? Clary Fairchild?” Jace jolts back, caught off guard at Alec’s recognition. 

“Hmm?” Clary spins around, “It’s Fray but yeah, I’m Clary.”

“Izzy!” Alec yells behind him before lowering his voice to Jace, “Do you mind helping me get her into one of the heat rooms? I’ll make sure she doesn’t haul you in after her.”

“Not funny,” Jace rolls his eyes at Alec.

“Good becasue it wasn’t a joke.” 

Izzy rounds the corner and stops short when she sees Clary, “Clary? How- oh my god!” Izzy throws herself at the girl before Jace and Alec can stop her.

“No Iz-”

“Don’t-”

Clary’s hands grip into the straps across Izzy’s back. She tilts her head into Izzy’s neck and sighs. 

“Well,” Izzy’s arms are held out, not touching the leech of an alpha anymore, “Wasn’t expecting that.”

“Come on, let’s get her back to a heat room and pull her off Iz,” Jace grins at Iz.

“Shut it Herondale,” Iz jokes, “Still less embarrassing than crying for your best friend to fuck you in the training room.”

Alec snorts. Jace points at both Lightwoods, “Betrayal. Plus, more important things on hand. Or on Izzy really.” Jace activates his speed rune and holds his wrist up to Clary, “Come on Clare-Bear, what you really want is omega, not that stinky old beta.”

Before Izzy can even get out her disgruntled, “Hey!” Clary is pushing away and lunging for Jace. Jace dashes away towards the back halls, Clary and then Alec on his heels. 

Jace weaves through the maze to a clean and stocked heat room. He runs in, grabs a pillow and rubs his scent on it. 

To Jace’s surprise, Clary arrives first. She approaches and Jace throws the pillow onto the bed, distracting her enough so he can get to the door. She’s fooled, pouncing on the pillow only to realize a moment later it’s not what she wants. She turns, eyes red and ready to drag him back into the room. 

Alec slides in front of Jace and growls, eyes an answering red, “Mine.” Clary defers to the stronger Alpha and bows her head slightly. Alec slams the door shut and locks it before she can change her mind.

“Shit,” Alec lets out a deep breath, “She has absolutely no idea what’s happening to her body and we locked her in there alone.”

“Fuck,” Jace grimaces, “I would stay but I-” he scratches the back of his neck, feeling selfish but so unwilling to be in a room with an inexperienced alpha in heat. 

“I can stay with her,” Izzy saunters up to them. “I helped Meliorn through his heat a few months ago so I know the basics. If Alec can resist heat pheromones, I shouldn’t have any issues with an alpha. I’ll make sure she doesn’t starve and can find the right sex toys.”

Alec glances at the door, at Jace, and settles back on Iz, “If you’re really ok with it, that’s probably our best option until we can find her family.”

“No problem,” Izzy shrugs, “Haven’t seen her in years, we’ve got a lot to catch up on,” She grins with that edge of confidence that Izzy carries with her like a designer purse. She unlocks the door and steps in, “Wow, you got naked quick-” is cut off when Izzy closes the door and locks it. 

“That was fun,” Jace offers, nodding at the door.

“So,” Alec’s lips are in a thin line, “Izzy knows?”

“Ah,” Jace curls his arms over his chest in a protective stance, “Yeah?”

Alec flicks his head in an appropriation of a nod. He walks back toward the Ops Center without another glance at Jace.

“Alec, wait-” he has some sort of explanation on his tongue but bites it back when Alec meets his eyes, “who exactly is this girl?”

“Clary Fairchild,” Alec explains as they walk away from the heat wing, “Jocelyn Fairchild’s second child with Valentine Morgenstern. After everything with the circle went down and Valentine died, they vanished. It was right before Izzy’s 12th birthday, I remember because she made us cancel it if Clary wasn’t going to be there. They were best friends even though they were a few years a part.”

“So Clary got the normal Valentine as her father while I got all his crazy. We’ll have to compare notes.”

Alec sets a hand on Jace’s lower back, gentle pressure. Jace lets it relax him and chase away the memories. 

They walk into the Ops center at the same time as another red headed woman struts in with a sword held at her side.

“Where is my daughter?” she yells at the shadowhunters closest to her, “I know you have her, I tracked her here.”

Alec grabs her attention, “Hey Ms. Fairchild. I think we need to have a private conversation.”

Jocelyn studies Alec’s face for a second and some of the tension drops off her shoulders, “Alec?”

Jace, of course, interjects, “Hey, good idea letting an alpha on the edge of rut walk around without knowing about her secondary gender. Super smart parenting decision!” Jace gives her a mock thumbs up and she raises an eyebrow at him.

“Who are you exactly?”

“I’m the kid your dead husband raised in a cabin in the woods after cutting me out of your best friend’s womb,” Jace extends his hand to Jocelyn and isn’t shocked when her mouth falls open and she doesn’t return the gesture. 

“Let’s go to my office,” Alec, ever the smooth commanding alpha, corrals them away from wandering eyes. 

*****

“God, you look just like her,” Jocelyn pats Jace’s hand on the table, “Stephen would be so angry that you don’t look anything like him.”

“My Grandma thinks I have Herondale ears but yeah, I’m definitely Celine’s son,” Jace takes a sip of the cup of tea Jocelyn had poured for him. 

It’s day four of Clary’s rut and Izzy expects it to end soon. After a painfully awkward conversation where Jocelyn and Alec had each brought the other up to speed, Jocelyn had decided to stick around the Institute and see the progress that had come in the decade she’d been away. 

“I wish you could have met them,” Jocelyn props her chin on her hand, “I wish I could have seen the monster he was when it mattered, not ten years too late.”

Jace nods, “There are a lot of things I wish.” Jace coughs, concealing as much emotion as he can but Jocelyn senses it, wraps an arm around his shoulder and pulls him so that their foreheads knock together. 

Both of their omega scents together create a calm bubble for them in the courtyard. Jace leans into it. Jace’s interactions with other omegas are rare, with only a small percentage of nephilim presenting as omega and almost always being whisked away to Idris to wed a wealthy alpha and live the rest of their lives in a castle, well fed and loved. It’s not the life Jace would want nor was it Jocelyn’s. 

“Mom?” Clary startles them, standing in Izzy’s only pair of sweats and a tank top. Her eyes are matte but rimmed in red. 

“Oh baby,” Jocelyn opens her arms and motions for Clary to join her on the bench. She smoothes Clary’s hair back and coos. 

“What am I?” Clary murmurs into her mom’s chest. Jace twitches away but Jocelyn stills him with a hand.

“You are a nephilim,” Jocelyn says, “An alpha at that. I always hoped you’d be a beta so you’d never feel this way, this-” Jocelyn closes her eyes, fingers gripping Jace’s knee briefly, “powerless.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Clary pulls back, wiping her nose, “A little bit of notice would have been nice.”

“You never displayed any sign of being an alpha,” Jocelyn insists, “And I knew if I let you in on that side of your biology, then you’d need to know everything. I wasn’t ready to come back to this world.”

“What world?” Clary, exasperated, has her arms outstretched, “What the hell is this place?”

Jace sits forward, taking over, “This is the New York Institute. It’s the headquarters for all of the shadowhunters, nephilim who use their enhanced abilities to protect mundanes, humans, in New York. Jocelyn Fairchild,” Jace glances to Jocelyn for a moment. She nods, “is a well respected and talented Shadowhunter who disappeared a decade ago with her daughter.” Clary’s eyes widen as Jace speaks. Jace turns his next question on Jocelyn, “Why can’t she remember it.”

“I had an old Warlock friend remove her memories,” Jocelyn concedes and speaks to Clary, “You don’t remember but the first place we settled, you would tell all of your classmates about Idris. You would come home every day and tell me,” Jocelyn grins, a tear falling down her cheek, “how dumb school was and that you wanted to go train with the big kids.”

“You erased my memories?” Clary stands, rips herself away from her mother’s side, “you took me away from my home and didn’t even let me keep the memories?”

“Honey, please-”

“I’m going to go find Izzy,” Clary shakes her head, “I need some time.” She walks away, Jocelyn’s lips trembling in her wake. 

“I did what I thought was best,” Jocelyn mutters, “She’d ask me about what happened to her- to her Daddy.” She says to the ceiling, blinking tears away.

“She’ll understand,” Jace curls closer, “From what you’ve told me, she’s had a great life. She wouldn’t have gotten that here.” Comforting, caring, it’s second nature to him. He wants to say it’s all him, it’s who he is, but it feels likes a box checked on a list of omega personality traits. 

“Yes,” Jocelyn nods, “She needs time, like she said.” Jace nods, patting Jocelyn’s knee. She sends a weak smile his way, “I guess I should go then.”

“I’ll walk you to the door.” They stand and head through the Ops Center towards the door. 

“I’ll text you my address,” Jocelyn keeps her arm through Jace’s “You’ll come by for dinner sometime?”

“Sure, I’d love to,” Jace hugs her at the door, can feel Clary’s eyes on them from across the room, “I’ll make sure she gets back safe.”

“Thank you Jace.” Jocelyn heads out the door and no sooner has the door closed than Alec is at his side. 

“Hey, you ok?” Alec rests a hand on the back of Jace’s neck. 

“Hm? Yeah, of course.” A slow smile spreads across Jace’s face when he looks at Alec, “It’s the omega squared thing. It can get pretty intense. Double the hormonal goo to wade through.”

As true as it is, Alec must not accept is as the complete story. He uses the grip he has on Jace’s shoulder to steer him down a private hallway. They step into a small alcove and Alec’s thumb sweeps over one of the scent glands in Jace’s neck, sending shivers down Jace’s spine. 

“You sure you’re good?” Alec asks again.

Jace reaches up to rest his palm against Alec’s forearm over his shoulder, “Yeah, I swear. It’s- she has so many stories of my parents. And my-” he chokes on his words, “And Valentine. She has good stories about him, of him when they were in love and he was a good dad to Clary. She told me about when they lost their Jonathon.” Jace closes his eyes, tilts his head down, away from Alec’s gaze. 

“It’s a lot to process,” Alec offers. 

“A lot,” Jace agrees, “But it’s good to hear. I hate Valentine, I do, but it wasn’t always bad. He loved me, in a way I won’t ever understand and wouldn't wish on anyone else. She gets that. I don’t feel as guilty for loving a part of him through all of the hate, because a part of her still loves who he was too.”

“Oh Jace,” Alec hauls Jace close and wraps him in his arms. Jace takes a breath for the first time in days, Alec’s scent opening up his airways. Alec’s hand cradles the back of Jace’s head and Jace sighs. 

“You’ve got to stop treating me like an omega one of these days,” It’s weak, said with a smirk and light jab to Alec’s stomach. 

“Sure, tomorrow,” Alec scritches his fingers through Jace’s hair. Jace hums. Jace can wait until tomorrow. 

*****

“Can you teach me how to do that?”

Jace almost swings the sword at Clary but catches himself. He cocks his head at her, “how’d you sneak up on me?”

“I’m an angel or something, remember?” Clary’s mirthless. She points at the sword, “So, can you teach me?”

“Sure, it’ll take a decade of intense training but we’ll get there,” he smirks at her, “How are you feeling?”

“Fine I guess. Hormones have finally settled down.”

“Good to know you don’t want to fuck me sideways,” Jace watches her as she runs curious fingers over swords and knives. 

Clary mutters, “Wouldn’t say that.” At Jace’s harsh laugh, she freezes, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“No, it’s ok,” Jace placates, “Omega, comes with the territory.”

“God, really? Do people walk around hitting on you all the time?” She slings a leg over a chair and he puts his weapon away. 

“You’d be surprised,” Jace swaggers over to sit across from her, “Most of the alphas here only act out when they’re close to their ruts but the mundies go crazy for it.”

“I’m sorry you have to put up with that,” her mouth is pulled into a tight pout, “They told me about you. That my father raised you. And that he-” She looks down, words stuck on her tongue. 

“It was a shock to me too when I was old enough to understand,” Jace admits, “Can you remember him?”

“Yeah, not all of the Shadowhunter stuff. Just, you know,” she shrugs, “The dad stuff. Him reading to me and bringing me gifts, things like that. I never even questioned why I couldn’t remember how he died.”

Jace nods, not really sure how to respond to that. He wishes he could forget. 

“They said he hid you somewhere?” Clary continues, “That he raised you to be the perfect soldier? I don’t understand. How could he do that?”

“I-” Jace coughs, “I still don’t know. I know what everyone has told me throughout the years which was never much. My grandmother stashed me here after it all went down to keep me safe from all of the Idris gossip.”

“Do you like your grandmother?”

Jace nods, “Yeah. She’s kind of a badass actually.”

That gets a smile out of Clary, finally. She doesn’t move to say anything else so Jace picks up the conversation. 

“Look, I know this is difficult,” Jace puts a hand over hers on the table, “I’ve been there before, realizing that everything you’ve known is a lie. Whenever you want to talk, or if you have questions, I’m here.”

“Thanks Jace,” she settles her other hand on top of his, “And thank you for bringing me back here in the first place. I can’t imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t.”

“No problem,” Jace smirks, “I’m glad I could use my powers of seduction for good.”

“Jace!” Alec barks from the doorway. Both Jace and Clary jump at the shout, “Ops, now.”

“Sir yes Sir!” Jace stands and mock salutes at Alec. Instead of laughing or rolling his eyes, Alec turns on his heels and walks away, “Ok then. I’ve got to go but later maybe I can help you with your training?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Clary tries to suppress a grin but doesn’t succeed. 

“Great, see you later,” Jace tips his head to her and follows in Alec’s wake. 

*****

Alec’s shoulders are tense so Jace pokes him in the side, “Relax.”

“I am relaxed,” Alec grumbles. The four of them are squished in an elevator, riding up to Magnus Bane’s penthouse apartment. After a week of pestering from Clary and some omega intervening from Jace, they had convinced Joselyn to reveal which old friend had Clary’s memories. 

“This is not relaxed.”

“Did it really have to be the High Warlock,” Alec spits out in a huff. Jace hides his grin at the outburst, “She couldn't have been buddies with a normal warlock?”

“Breathe, Jocelyn said it’d be fine.” Jace shifts a little closer, trying to leech some of Alec’s anxiety. Jace can see Izzy smiling in the mirror of the elevator as the doors open on their floor. 

“Must be this door,” Clary, decked in a shocking new wardrobe of Izzy’s old leather, stops in front of the only door in the short hall.

“Well? You going to knock?” Alec snips at Clary.

Jace rolls his eyes and taps the knocker while Clary and Alec have some sort of weird alpha stare down. The door opens. No one’s there. 

“Hello? High Warlock?” Jace sticks his head through the door before Alec pulls him back by his shirt and steps in front of him. 

“What are you doing?”

“What? He’s expecting us and the door opened- he’s a warlock. That’s got to be normal.”

“It is,” all of their heads snap and Magnus Bane is standing there.

“Were you-” Clary pauses, “were you just really quiet or did you appear there?”

Magnus’s eyes go soft, “Oh Biscuit, you got so big.” He sweeps her into a hug, which, Jace gives her credit for returning quickly and without any fear of the most powerful warlock on the east coast. 

“Mom called you right?”

“Yes, yes, she explained it all,” Magnus pulls back with a grin, hands still on her shoulders, “I’ve got everything ready. Would you like a cup of tea first? Scone?”

“Mr. Bane,” Alec bows his head in deference, “thank you for your offer but I do think its best we restore Clary’s memories as soon as possible.” 

Magnus drops Clary like she’s a hot coal, “Oh, and who might you be?”

“Alec Lightwood, sir, Head of the New York Institute” Alec sticks out his hand which Magnus gladly takes in both of his, stepping into Alec’s space. 

“Call me Magnus. I only like being called sir under certain circumstances.” Magnus’s smirk hits Jace’s gut hard. Jace watches Alec’s face and tenses a little when he sees no sign of discomfort. If anything, Jace catches a slight blush on Alec’s cheeks. 

“Like Alec said,” Jace steps up to the two, “We should get Clary her memories back. Would make tea time a little more pleasant if she can actually remember you.”

“Blondie has a point,” Magnus sighs, giving Alec his hand back and walking further into his apartment, “Did Jocelyn tell you what you’ll need to do?”

Clary answers, “She said something about giving up our memories?”

“Correct, the memory demon will require a payment to get your memories back. Each of you will need to give up a memory of the one you love most.”

“How does that work?” Alec asks.

“You won’t have to do anything but stand there and look pretty, Dear,” Magnus grins, “it will pluck a memory of significance from your mind. We’ll have our hands linked; whatever you do, do not drop your hands. It will go smoothly and easily if we all maintain focus but can easily fall apart if one link is broken.”

“Easy enough,” Clary takes position where Magnus points around a drawing on the floor. They all follow suit, standing where Magnus leads them and clasping hands. 

“Remember, focus and don’t drop your hands. I’m told losing a memory leaves you feeling bereft. Fight the feeling and stay strong until I tell you to let go.” With nods all around, Magnus beings to chant. 

The memory demon is by no means the scariest demon that Jace has ever seen but it is startling to be this close to one without trying to run his blade into it. He stays present, hands clasped with Alec and Clary. Magnus and the demon exchange words and then, Jace see an image of Alec, no older than 10, swirl into the center of the circle as Izzy pinches her face with the loss of the memory.

The demon turns to Alec next and Jace grips his hand tighter, expecting Izzy’s face to light up the center of the circle. Instead, his eyebrows raise when it’s him, a laugh on his face from a night in their early teens when Alec and Jace had snuck out of the institute one night. Jace feels light push through his body at the sight. 

This comes crashing down when the memory demon turns to him and suddenly an image of Alec, sweat dripping down his face, lights up the center of the circle. Next to him, Alec turns bright pink. They’re saved by the fact it’s only a headshot so no one sees the mattress that Alec has Jace pinned to out of frame. 

He and Alec’s hands stay clenched tight as the image of Jocelyn enters center stage. After all of the memories are collected, its quick work of getting Clary’s memories back.

Clary blinks a few times once Magnus has finished the enchantment to merge her memories back in her mind. She grasps her temple, glances around the circle and launches at Izzy “Oh my god!” 

Izzy squeals “I’m so glad it worked!”

“I’m so sorry I forgot you! I missed you so much,” Clary steps back then drags Magnus in “And it’s so good to see you again Uncle Magnus!”

“I think we can drop the Uncle now, Biscuit.” Magnus chuckles and pats Clary’s hair. 

Jace steps next to Alec, “Don’t think they need us anymore. Want to head out?” Alec nods. 

They’re almost to the door when Clary bounds up behind them, “Wait! Jace, Alec!” They turn and Alec gets the hug first, “thank you so much for doing this,” Clary drops Alec and loops her arms around Jace’s shoulder, “Everything is finally starting to make sense.” She gives Jace a peck on the cheek before turning back to Izzy and Magnus to catch up. 

Safely outside, Jace hits the call elevator button, “Izzy’s going to be pissed at you later.”

“Why?” Alec furrows his brow. 

“My picture came up for you, not her.” Jace bounces on his toes, “She’s never going to let you live that down.

Alec grits his teeth, “she’ll understand. What about you?”

“What about me?”

The elevator dings but neither of them move. Alec rubs his thumb over the place on Jace’s cheek where Clary had kissed, “I came up.”

“Well yeah, of course you did. Who else could it have been?” Jace shrugs as he takes a step into the elevator. He’d known the second Jocelyn had said that the demon would take from their memory of their most loved person that he’d lose a piece of Alec. 

“I don’t know, your grandmother, Izzy.”

“Oh. No, I knew it’d be you.”

Alec grins, “It was nice to see.” 

Jace swallows and changes the subject, “Magnus was laying it on pretty thick in there.”

Alec’s confused expression returns ten fold, “So?”

“So you should ask him out. I’m sure the High Warlock of Brooklyn has some cool perks. Besides, of course, Maryse having a heart attack.”

“You think I should ask Magnus out?”

Jace picks his words carefully, “I think you’ve been single a long time and that it seems like you’re not interested in other shadowhunters. Might be fun to get out there, with a warlock, no less.”

Alec’s has his eyes closed against the wall of the elevator, “There’s a reason for that.”

“For what?”

“Why I’m-” They’re cut off by Alec’s phone ringing and a report of a vampire sighting that they’re supposed to check out. 

“You were saying?” Jace prompts. 

“We can talk about it later,” Alec says as they sprint out of the building. The topic doesn’t come up again that night. 

*****

It does come up the next night at dinner. Clary’s regaling them with old stories of her mom and Magnus when Jace indulges in his latest round of self sabotage. 

“Did Magnus bring up Alec again after we left?” Jace says through a half chewed bite of spaghetti. 

Clary, Izzy and Alec all freeze. Clary answers, “Uh, yeah, he did. Why?”

“I was telling Alec yesterday he should ask Magnus out.” Jace turns his head to Alec with a flick, “See?”

“He brought Alec up,” Izzy’s voice has an edge to it, “because he was afraid he offended you by encroaching on your mate.”

It’s Jace’s turn to freeze while Alec goes bright red. Jace gets his faculties back fast enough, “Did you correct him?”

A heavy silence hangs over the table before Izzy puts down her fork and turns her full body to them, “Ok, how have you guys not talked about this since yesterday?”

“About what?” Jace questions.

Izzy tips back her head in a motion that can only be interpreted as a prayer for strength, “The memory demon basically proved that you two are in love with each other. You can’t hide anymore- talk it out, get mated, and make me a few nieces and nephews.”

Jace shuts down inside but keeps up a good charade, “Izzy, you got it wrong. Sure, we love each other the most in the world but in, like, a brotherly way.”

“You sit outside his door while he’s in rut Jace.” She’s punching a curled fist into the palm of her hand. “And there’s a reason why Alec doesn’t lose it when you’re in heat.”

“Iz- cut it out.” Alec decrees, signaling the end of the discussion. 

Jace bangs his fork against his plate a few times, waiting for someone to start up the conversation again. Clary asks Izzy about her weekend plans. Jace manages a few more bites and then he’s gone. 

*****

It doesn’t take Alec long to find him on the roof, “Hey.”

“Hey,” Jace scooches over on the parapet, leaving an Alec-sized hole next to him that Alec fills seamlessly. 

It’s an easy silence that settles. Jace breaths, Alec and the musk of the city comforting in the night air. The view never gets old. 

“We should probably talk about it,” Alec murmurs. 

Jace nods, “What did she mean?”

“Hm?”

“That you not having sex with me means something?”

“Oh,” Alec fidgets, a hand comes up to fiddle with his hair, “She looked it up, after you told her. Apparently,” Alec takes a breath, “it’s not unheard of.”

Jace waits for him to explain. He doesn’t, “so? When does it happen?”

It’s obvious, the way Alec pools his courage, “If the Alpha already has heightened senses towards the omega, it makes it possible for the alpha to resist the pheromones during heat.”

Jace purses his lips, “So it’s like exposure? Because you already spend so much time with me, you’re used to my scent?”

Alec licks his lips, “No. It’s because-” he finally meets Jace’s eyes, “this only happens when the alpha has intense feelings for the omega. If the alpha spends a lot of time outside of heat denying their desires, it makes doing so during the heat possible.”

It takes a solid ten seconds to figure out what Alec is trying to say before a grin breaks over Jace's face, “Are you telling me that you spend so much time trying not to jump me on a normal day that you can resist jumping me in heat?” 

Alec sighs, “yeah. That’s what the science says.”

Jace is smiling wide now, “I thought you were so repulsed by me that you couldn’t get it up even with the pheromones .”

Alec shakes his head, “Definitely not that.” He pauses, “You sit outside my door while I’m in rut?”

Jace pushes his fist into Alec’s thigh, “Yeah, you never know when you’ll start gasping my name and I’ll have an excuse to keep you company.”

Alec slips his palm over Jace’s fist on his leg, pulls the fingers a part to interlace them, “I always knew that there was no way we’d both be alphas. I’ve felt, for so long, that we were meant to be mates.”

Jace stares at their hands interlaced, “Yeah?”

Alec nods, “It’s why a part of me wanted to be omega. You were so certain that you’d be an alpha, and I wanted to be your mate so bad. I broke my own heart when I presented. These last few years- I’d been trying so hard to get to a place where I’d be fine being your parabatai and then you presented. I was so happy but at the same time had no idea how to shift your line of thought from thinking we were best friends who were going to be parabatai to possible mates.”

Jace hums, “The fact I was so disappointed probably didn’t help.”

Alec offers a careful grin, “I didn’t want to rush things unnecessarily and risk ruining my chances.”

Jace laughs, “Well, if it wasn’t obvious from yesterday, you’re the person I love most in the world. You must have done something right.” 

Alec smooths a thumb over Jace’s wrist, “I can’t tell you how good that felt.”

“You don’t have to, I know. I felt the same way when my face came up for you.”

Alec smiles, leans back a bit against the parapet, “You had to have known Jace.”

“I didn’t but now-“ Jace keeps his eyes locked with Alec’s, “Can we bond? I want it, to be your mate.”

“Of course Jace,” Alec leans forward to kiss him. It’s not the first time; Jace has been able to sneak a few kisses in while in heat but his clear head makes it more intense as Alec’s tongue meets his in his mouth.

After a good many kisses, Jace starts to get restless. He pulls out of Alec’s grip and hops down, “come on.”

“Hm, what?” Alec stutters out of a daze.

“I need to go raid the pantry and you need to find someone to cover your duties the next few days.” 

Alec tilts his head, “wait, you meant we’d bond now? Tonight?”

Jace holds out his hands, “well yeah, what did you think I meant.”

Alec shrugs but hops down, “That we’d date for an appropriate amount of time and then announce our intentions.”

“Fuck that,” Jace crosses his arms in front of his chest, “our families have known we wanted to bond since you were 16,” Jace talks over Alec's murmured ‘well that’s different’ and starts tugging on Alec's wrist, “and you’ve made me go through two heats without a knot for apparently no reason. We’re not waiting any longer.” 

Jace watches the cogs turn in Alec’s brain until Alec finally nods, “let me call mom and see if she can come down for a few days.” 

Jace squeezes Alec's waist, “Meet me in my room? I’ll be there in ten.” He starts to jog away, toward the stairs, and turns before he descends while Alec scrolls through his contacts, “Feel free to get comfortable while you’re waiting for me.” He says with a smirk and a wink, hoping it will make Alec blush. 

The plan backfires when Alec looks up with his own smirk and red eyes, “Gladly.” Jace mouth dries as he runs down the stairs.

*****

“I’m so angry.”

“Stop making me feel guilty.”

“You should feel guilty,” Jace prods at Alec, knuckles digging into his side, “it’s been almost a year, two heats and two ruts, and we could have had this the whole time if you had been less chivalrous and bonded with me when I was literally begging you to.” 

Jace is not angry- he’s ecstatic. He can feel Alec’s soul inside him. It’s so strong and warm and makes him want to curl up around the little piece of Alec in him and then have Alec curl around his back, sheltering him from both sides. 

“You can’t consent when you’re in heat,” Alec grumbles.

“You’re right- which is why you could have asked me the day after it broke. ‘Hey Jace, remember how you cried and begged for my marks- what was that about?’”

“I didn’t want to pressure you. You were still freaking out about presenting.”

“I was also freaking out that the person who had triggered my presentation wasn’t interested.” Jace’s hands continue to explore Alec’s muscles, gliding along his core. “Just admit that you’re angry with yourself too.”

Alec sighs, “Maybe a little.”

The admission makes Jace grin and stop his fiddling. Instead he curls close and rests his head on Alec’s chest. “This feels so good. We talked so long about sharing a soul that I never really thought about what it would feel like.” 

Alec hums,”I had no idea that I could love you more than I did.” Alec’s fingers twine into Jace’s hair and start a gentle massage.

"Best part is you'll never be able to hide your feelings from me again. No more pining for a decades without cluing me in."

"Jace," Jace looks up at Alec, "Shut up."

Jace laughs. He laughs because even though Alec is covering his eyes and frowning, all Jace can feel is the slow and steady warmth that is Alec's happiness reverberating in his soul.

*****

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading- stay safe out there!
> 
> Tumblr: emmybazy.tumblr.com


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